Kira-Kira. Glittering. That's how Katie Takeshima's sister, Lynn, makes everything seem. The sky is kira-kira because its color is deep but see-through at the same time. The sea is kira-kira for the same reason. And so are people's eyes. When Katie and her family move from a Japanese community in Iowa to the Deep South of Georgia, it's Lynn who explains to her why people stop them on the street to stare. And it's Lynn who, with her special way of viewing the world, teaches Katie to look beyond tomorrow. But when Lynn becomes desperately ill, and the whole family begins to fall apart, it is up to Katie to find a way to remind them all that there is always something glittering—kira-kira—in the future.

Up on Cloud Nine. Ian's best friend, Stolly, is up on cloud nine. He's in the hospital, unconscious and hooked up to machines. The question Ian is trying to answer is: How did Stolly end up there? In a way, Stolly's always been on cloud nine, living life by his own rules and making those rules up as he goes along. His parents' careers have them constantly rushing around, so Ian's family has all but adopted Stolly. That's why it's up to Ian to figure out what happened to his best friend. But once the pieces start coming together, the answer doesn't seem to make any sense. Two-time Carnegie Medal winner Anne Fine takes an honest look at family dynamics and the saving graces of friendship in this powerful and poignant novel.

Never Let Me Go. Kathy, Ruth and Tommy were pupils at Hailstam—an idyllic establishment situated deep in the English countryside. The children there were tenderly sheltered from the outside world, brought up to believe they were special, and that their personal welfare was crucial. But for what reason were they really there? It is only years later that Kathy, now aged thirty-one, finally allows herself to yield to the pull of memory. What unfolds is the haunting story of how Kathy, Ruth and Tommy slowly come to face the truth about their seemingly happy childhoods—and about their futures.

I'm Alice and I love books, beer, and racking up Qantas frequent flier miles between Singapore and Penang on Jetstar (and other parts of the world). I aspire to be a polyglot. Although I can only speak English, Malay, Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, and most recently, Italian, I'm hoping to master Swedish really, really soon!